Adams: Defense comes up big

TAMPA, Fla. — Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer probably will start counting Tennessee Lady Vols the first time she watches the replay of Tuesday night’s national championship. And the final total will amaze her.

There were only five. It just seemed like six every time a Stanford player got her shaky hands on the basketball at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The big question before the national championship game: Would the Lady Vols have enough offense?

Offense? Who needs offense when you have a defense like the one UT wrapped around the Cardinal in a 64-48 victory?

Never mind that UT superstar Candace Parker wasn’t at full strength because of an injured left shoulder. The defense was at super strength.

So what else is new?

UT won its seventh national last year by holding its Final Four opponents to 50. It won No. 8 in similar fashion.

Two nights after defeating LSU 47-46 in the semifinals, the Lady Vols forced 25 turnovers, including 14 in the first half when they took control of the game.

They didn’t just throttle Stanford’s offense. They made it unrecognizable.

Stanford averaged 85 points in five consecutive NCAA tournament games on the way to the national championship. It accomplished that with precision passing, exceptional perimeter shooting and the overall brilliance of four-time All-American Candice Wiggins.

None of that was evident against the Lady Vols, who repeatedly throttled Stanford’s precision offense with full-court pressure and half-court traps.

“We know what to expect, but we can’t simulate that in practice,” VanDerveer. “They were extremely aggressive.

“We were not able to run anything offensively. People could not get open whether it was against their press or half-court defense. … They took us out of everything they were trying to do.”

Stanford got a preview of the nightmare to come in its semifinal victory against Connecticut. It struggled mightily when UConn went to a full-court press in a belated comeback attempt.

UT coach Pat Summitt took note.

“As soon as Connecticut went to the press, it really bothered them,” Summitt said. “I felt like our size and having Nicky (Anosike) on the ball would be a good option for us.”

The 6-foot-4 Anosike looked 8-4 every time she extended her arms above Stanford ball-handlers. She had six first-half steals, 12 points and eight rebounds.

Anosike sometimes stole the ball by overpowering the smaller Cardinal players on the perimeter. Other times, she surprised the Cardinal guards with her quickness.

“They’re so big,” Wiggins said. “They’re in passing lanes, so you can’t have any sloppy passes. I think that’s what happened early in the game.”

Actually, it happened early and late.

When Stanford cut the lead to nine with 7:57 to play, its next four possessions consisted of a travel, an airball, a Parker steal and a missed layup. The cumulative failure could be traced to a devastating first half during which UT established its defensive dominance.

“A lot of people underestimate our defense,” Parker said. “When you get on the court, it’s different than what you see on TV.”

It also was different than what Stanford saw in December when it defeated the Lady Vols 73-69 in overtime. The increased intensity and efficiency came with the higher stakes for a program that measures its success in national championships.

“My mindset was I wasn’t going home without a championship,” Anosike said. “If we lost, I was going to live here. … It would be over my dead body before I would leave here with a loss.”

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com